Rules Discussion: Deck-Building

Many of my favorite games are considered deck-builders, which means that you build your decks as an integral part of the actual gameplay and then you compete with the deck that you built. Now, games that require players to compile their own cards to construct decks aren't new to gaming; Magic: The Gathering, Legend of the Five Rings, Netrunner (circa 1996), and the old Star Wars and Star Trek collectible card games were the forerunners of deck-builders. However, as time has passed, deck-builders can be differentiated into three basic types: the collectible card game (CCG), which requires a large investment to buy randomly packed decks and booster packs to acquire cards so that you can build your deck BEFORE actual gameplay; the living card game (LCG), which requires a relatively smaller investment in prepackaged decks and booster packs to acquire cards for deck construction BEFORE gameplay; and what I will simply call deck-builders, which involve playing with a shared inventory of cards and building your deck DURING (or as an integral part of) gameplay. Today, games like Dominion, Core Worlds, Eminent Domain, Thunderstone, Ascension, Star Realms, Trains, and even A Few Acres of Snow utilize the deck-builder mechanic in their gameplay, often employing an in-game card drafting method to distribute cards and more mechanics for accelerating draw, trashing/scrapping/removing cards from decks, denying opponents' their card draws, and forcing opponents' to discard cards.

In contrast to LCGs and CCGs, which requires some investment in decks, packs, or singles, deck-builders are much less expensive to play and need just one shared set of cards (and maybe some optional expansions). More importantly, deck-builders present a more level playing field because, unlike CCGs in which the most expensive cards often tip the odds in their owners' favor or LCGs which may require a complete collection to be competitive, all deck-builders require is one person to bring one set of cards and game elements. Wanna play Dominion? All you need is one friend with the game. This doesn't mean that you will win in your first or even tenth game (after all, the more experienced player of any game has greater odds of winning), but you are less likely to get blindsided by an unexpected card or hosed by an overpowered card that costs $200 on eBay to buy a playset of four. In this way, the "modern" deck-builder is more egalitarian than CCGs and LCGs, and are more welcoming to the new and inexperienced player (though you do miss out on the thrill of opening a booster pack, hoping for a prized rare card).

Any thoughts about deck-builders, CCGs, or LCGs? Feel free to offer your opinions and insights.